ProgramOverview

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Students can pursue an exciting career as a professional pilot at JCC and through articulation agreements JCC has with Genesee Community College, Monroe Community College, and Erie Community College.

Flight training can be done through agreements with Prior Aviation in Buffalo, NY, and Rochester Air Center in Rochester, NY. This website will always be current with a list of all approved flight schools with which we work. All of these flight providers are Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved Part 141 schools. Students should carefully consider the choice of flight providers. While each follows an FAA approved curriculum, there are important differences -- such as hourly instructor and aircraft rates, type of aircraft used for instruction, instruction methods, and dispatch procedures -- which can impact the total cost and overall service. Discovery flights are available at each flight school for a nominal fee.

Students will apply for admission to JCC, the degree granting institution and the institution of record for all financial aid considerations. Students can take their liberal arts courses at any of the community colleges listed. Students will enroll in aviation courses through JCC and complete flight training with any approved provider. JCC will administer financial aid for the combined simultaneous enrollments currently allowed by federal and state financial aid programs. Therefore, students taking a combined total of 12 or more required credit hours at two or more colleges, with at least three credits at JCC, will be considered full-time for the purposes of financial aid.

Students may matriculate courses from other colleges. Students who already possess FAA certificates or ratings may receive equivalent course credit through the Life Experience Credit program.

Upon completion of the degree, students will:

have their private and commercial pilot licenses, and instrument rating.

will have accumulated between 220 and 250 hours of flight time.

have earned either the Certified Flight Instructor–Airplane rating, which allows them to work immediately while they accrue hours needed to advance in the field, or have earned the multi-engine rating which may afford them specific employment opportunities and the chance to build multi-engine time.

have the option of earning the rating not earned in the previous bullet, and the Certified Flight Instructor–Instrument rating. Earning these ratings will involve additional flight training expenses.

have a two-year degree in which at least half, and potentially all, of the courses will transfer to four-year degree programs. Students are encouraged to continue to pursue a four-year degree.